Never Leave
by Walking Contraadiction
Summary: Friendship is difficult and romance is worse. Only the strongest of relationships can withstand the obstacles that both bring. Albus Severus/Scorpius.
1. First Year

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.**

**A/N: Thank you very much to my wonderful beta, Lisa.**

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_Am I asking for so much?_

_I'm not asking to be understood._

_Am I asking for so much?_

_I'm just looking for a brand new friend._

**First year.**

"What if the rest of the children are horrible and don't like me?" asked Scorpius Malfoy, voicing his worries for the first time.

Draco Malfoy only wished he had done so sooner, so that he could have had a proper talk with his obviously anxious son. It was Scorpius' first year at Hogwarts, and he should have already been on the train. _I'll have to make this quick_, he thought, placing his hands reassuringly on Scorpius' shoulders and kneeling down so that he was looking him in the eyes that were so very like his own.

"They won't, Scorpius," he began firmly. "Just be yourself, and they will forget all about your last name." Scorpius was a sweet, good-natured child, and Draco's pride in him grew with every breath he took. It pained him to think that people would judge him cruelly based on the mistakes he and his father had made during the war. Scorpius did not deserve that sort of treatment. Draco had faith in him though. He was strong, and if anyone would be able to redeem the Malfoy name, it would be him.

Scorpius nodded at his father, trying to look as though his words had eased his fear. They had not, and Draco was not fooled. The whistle blew, signalling that any children not already on the train should board now. "You'd best go, Scorpius."Draco pulled him in for a brief but warm hug. This soothed Scorpius' distress better than any words ever could.

His mother, Astoria Malfoy, hugged him tightly against her chest. "Be careful, won't you?" she fretted. "Write regularly and let us know which house you are sorted into. If you've forgotten anything, we'll owl it. We love you, darling!""Okay, Mum, love you both." He watched his parents get smaller and smaller until the train turned a corner and he could no longer see them at all. He sighed and began looking for a compartment to sit in. He knew he should probably try and socialise with the others in his year, but he really did not want to. Just the thought of it made him so nervous that he thought he might vomit. So, instead he looked for an empty the time he reached the end of the train, he desperately wished that he hadn't spent so much time on the platform, because all the compartments seemed to be occupied. Panic began to rise within him.

_I'm going to have to sit out in the aisle! _he thought frantically. On his way back to the top of the train, he passed a compartment with just one boy inside. The boy was rather scrawny looking with unkempt black hair and had his nose in a book. Scorpius didn't think he looked too threatening. He knocked on the door and slid it opened. The boy looked up from his book and smiled.

"Hello," Scorpius began politely, thanking God that he hadn't stuttered. He always did that when he was nervous. "Would you mind if I sat in here with you?" The boy beamed. "No, not at all. I could do with some company. My brother won't let me sit with him, and I have no idea what's happened to my friend Mathew. Who knows where he's gone…" Scorpius snickered at the boy's complete lack of concern about what had happened to his friend.

"I'm Scorpius Malfoy." He held out his hand to the boy, half expecting him to make a nasty face upon hearing his name, but to his surprise the boy just smiled again and shook his hand. "Albus Severus Potter," he said, grimacing slightly as he said it. "But _please_ call me Al. I really must insist." Scorpius chuckled. "Nice to meet you, Al." "You too." "So… You're Harry Potter's son." It was not a question. "Yeah," Albus said. "And you are Draco Malfoy's son. Our dads didn't like each other." "No, they didn't," agreed Scorpius. "My father respects him now, though. Your dad saved my fathers life. I should thank him one day."Albus didn't say anything at first. He had, of course, heard the story of how his dad had saved 'that git Malfoy' told many times by his Uncle Ron. "Just because our fathers weren't friends doesn't mean we can't be. I mean, if you want to be," said Albus. Scorpius smiled widely at him, the expression brightening his entire face. "I'd like that."

They chatted about everything from family to Quidditch. They discovered, to their great pleasure, that they both supported the same team, the Falmouth Falcons. They rambled excitedly about games they had been to and their favourite players until the lady with the trolley knocked on the door. "So," said Albus round a mouthful of chocolate frog, "what house do you think you'll be in?" "I don't know. My whole family has been in Slytherin, so I'll probably end up there. I think that's what father's hoping for." He gingerly picked a Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Bean from the box. "What about you?

"Well, I was actually really worried about it," Albus confessed. "My brother, James, kept telling me I would end up in Slytherin and that the family would shun me, but I spoke to my dad, and he says he and my mum will be proud of me wherever I end up. So I don't really mind, although," he said making a face, "I'd rather not be in Hufflepuff." "No, me neither," Scorpius agreed. Then he snorted. "The look on my father's face would be hilarious if, God forbid, I was ever sorted into Hufflepuff, though."

"Also, my dad says the Sorting Hat takes what you want into account," Albus informed him.

"Really?" asked Scorpius, seeming intrigued. "How does he know?" "It wanted to put him in Slytherin, and he asked it not to, so it didn't," explained Albus with a shrug.

They talked easily for the rest of the journey, basking in each other's company until all too soon they were standing in the Great Hall waiting to be sorted.

Albus was fiercely returning the glares James had been shooting him since he had spotted him with the young Malfoy.

"Malfoy, Scorpius." Fear gripped Scorpius and seemed to have taken control of his legs, which for the life of him, he could not make move. Albus gave him an encouraging push in the direction of the stool. As soon as the hat was on his head, it began speaking in a low voice that made him shiver slightly.

"Hmm, a Malfoy. Different from the rest, I see, more kind hearted and very intelligent, but there's no denying that cunning streak and thirst to prove yourself. You could do well in Ravenclaw, you know, but no, you belong in… SLYTHERIN!"

Scorpius heaved a deep sigh of relief as he stood. Albus was giving him a thumbs up and he smirked back at him before joining his new housemates at the Slytherin table. Scorpius let his mind wander as he looked around the Great Hall in awe. He had never imagined it to be as grand as it was. He vaguely recalled hearing a "Thomas, Mathew," being sorted into Ravenclaw and wondered idly whether he was the friend Albus had mentioned. If it was, Albus was likely to ask the hat to put him in Ravenclaw, too. He was surprised when this thought made him feel disappointed and a little jealous. It was irrational, he told himself. He'd only known Albus for a few hours. He had no right to think that Albus would feel any loyalty towards him. That is why it came as such a shock to Scorpius when Albus was indeed placed in Slytherin, much to the horror of his family at the Gryffindor table. Albus didn't seem to be worried by their reactions, though; he had simply smiled sweetly at them all before dropping into the seat next to Scorpius at the Slytherin table.

"Did you ask to be put here?" inquired Scorpius.

"Yes," Albus replied, lifting his goblet of pumpkin juice to his lips.

Scorpius hesitated before asking his next question, "Because of me?"

"Yes," Albus repeated, the corners of his mouth quirking upwards into a cheeky smile.

They turned to face each other and clinked their goblets together in a silent toast.

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**A/N: Hope you enjoyed. Please review, it makes me a happy writer!  
Chapter two is ready to be posted, the more reviews I get the quicker I'll update. ;)**


	2. Fifth Year

**Disclaimer : I own nothing but the plot and am making no money.**

**A/N: Thank you to my beta, Lisa. I appreciate all the work you ahve put into this fic so very much.**

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_From this moment life has begun_

_From this moment you are the one_

_Right beside you is where I belong_

_From this moment on._

**Fifth year.**

Albus Severus Potter was not having a good time. He was attempting to pack his trunk for the Christmas holidays and was failing miserably. He had never been good at this sort of thing; he was very untidy. He had, so far, only managed to pack a couple of pairs of pants and a few t-shirts, and he had been packing for over half an hour. He scowled as he looked out of the window and saw the snow falling heavily. _I should be out there having a snowball fight,_ he thought moodily.

His mood lightened slightly when he looked at his best friend, Scorpius Malfoy, who seemed to be having an even worse time of it than he was, if that was even possible. His pale face had a light sheen of sweat over it, _probably due to the stress of packing_ thought Albus sympathetically. The most obvious sign that Scorpius was not his usual calm self was that his usually immaculate hair was slightly mussed. Albus didn't dare mention this to him though because he did, after all, value his life.

"Albus Severus Potter," growled Scorpius, doing a good job of looking menacing considering he had a grey sock draped over his shoulder and a pair of boxers around his wrist. His eyes were narrowed so that they were just grey slits. It was a frightening sight, decided Albus.

"Yes, Scorpius?" he asked sweetly.

"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!"

Albus looked at him in alarm. "What are you raving on about, you lunatic?"

"This!" he screeched, gesturing wildly to the mess of clothes that surrounded him. "If you hadn't enticed me with chess and coffee, I would have done this last night at a leisurely pace, and I would not be stressed out of my mind today!"

Albus had to think of a way to calm Scorpius quickly; he could sense one of his tantrums coming on.

"It's okay, Score, you have plenty of time. The train doesn't leave until one o'clock tomorrow."

"I won't manage it in time. I'm going to miss the train, and I'll be here alone for the entire holiday," Scorpius whined.

"No, you will manage it just fine. Even if you didn't, you know I would stay here with you, you toad."

Scorpius relaxed slightly at these words.

"My mum showed me a spell that separates all your clothes. I'll do it for you, okay?"

Scorpius nodded.

"_Singulus Vestitus,"_ murmured Albus, pointing his wand at all of Scorpius' things.

Immediately, the clothes began to sort them selves into neat piles. T-shirts with t-shirts, trousers with trousers, pants with pants, robes with robes, and socks with socks.

Scorpius smiled serenely at all the little bundles and began lifting them and gently placing them all into his case while Albus did the same with his things.

Scorpius sighed happily. "Ah, finished at last."

Albus sniggered at his friend; he was such a drama queen.

"Why didn't you think of that spell before? You were enjoying watching me suffer, weren't you?" Scorpius accused.

"No, I was not! I forgot all about it, actually. I only remembered when your little temper tantrum flared up."

"Shut it."

Albus smirked triumphantly.

"Scorpius, have you seen my Weasley jumper?" asked Albus, looking around for it.

Scorpius flushed a deep shade of pink.

"Scorpius," said Albus menacingly, "What have you done with my jumper? I don't care how much of a fashion crime you think it is, but I told you very clearly not to bin it!"

"I did _not _bin it!" squawked Scorpius, looking affronted by the accusation.

He rummaged around at the bottom of his trunk and pulled out a thick, forest green jumper with a large silver 'A' on it.

"You stole my jumper?"

"I didn't think you'd mind since you'd be getting a new one at Christmas next week anyway. It's just so warm and cosy," he admitted, the pink glow fading only slightly. "Please may I keep it, Albus?"

Albus stared at him incredulously for a moment and then let out a loud roar of laughter.

Scorpius did not look at all amused by the situation.

"Of course you can keep it, Scorpius. You could have just asked instead of trying to smuggle it out of the school," said Albus, tears of mirth shining in his bright green eyes.

"Shut up," muttered Scorpius, but he couldn't fight the smile that tugged at his lips as he watched Albus laugh happily.

Albus stood up suddenly. "Let's go enjoy the snow. Get your Weasley jumper on—you know you want to." He ran off cackling before Scorpius could kick him in the shins.

The next day the Hogwarts Express began its journey from Hogsmeade station to Kings Cross at one o'clock as scheduled.

The snow had stop falling, but it still lay thick on the ground. The December air had a nasty bite to it. Despite the cold weather outside, the Hogwarts Express remained deliciously warm, which was greatly appreciated by all aboard.

Albus and Scorpius had a compartment to themselves, which was a rare occurrence. They were usually accompanied by their two friends Alexander Zabini and Mathew Thomas. Mathew had turned out to be the boy Scorpius had heard being sorted into Ravenclaw on their first day at Hogwarts, but the Slytherins had accepted him as soon as they learned that he was a friend of Albus. If he could be trusted by one of them, it was okay for the rest of them to trust him too.

The one Slytherin who had taken a shine to him almost immediately was Alexander. Alexander, to the dismay of his father, Blaise Zabini, was very interested in Muggles—not unlike Albus' grandpa Weasley. Mathew had a great deal of knowledge about Muggles because his father was Muggle-born, and he had been more than happy to talk with Alexander for hours on end about Muggles and their customs.

Scorpius had met Alexander a few times before he arrived at Hogwarts because their fathers were friendly. They were friendly, but Draco had once told Scorpius he wasn't particularly fond of him. On getting to know Alexander when he started school, Scorpius realised he was not like his father and was actually very nice.

A week before the holidays were due to begin, Alexander had received a letter from his father informing him that he and his wife would be jetting off to France for a winter break and that he was to stay at Hogwarts.

Mathew, the loyal friend that he was, could not bear the thought of his friend spending Christmas alone and had owled his father to let him know he would be staying at school for the holidays to keep Alexander company.

Albus and Scorpius were lounging comfortably on the floor of the compartment on two large cushions Scorpius had transfigured from two of his textbooks.

They were both leaning over a book reading a paragraph that Scorpius had found fascinating. Their heads were touching lightly: Albus' dark hair was tickling Scorpius' cheek slightly, and their sides were pressed together a little more than was necessary.

Albus' older brother entered the compartment, took in the sight of the two younger boys cosied up together, and smirked knowingly.

"You two are so nauseating," he stated as though it were a fact. "When are you going to put each other out of your miseries and go out, for Merlin's sake."

The boys blushed furiously and shifted apart.

"Piss off, James," muttered Albus.

James snickered. "Calm down, little bro, I'm only saying. Anyway, the only reason I invaded your little love shack was to tell you that we'll be there in ten minutes, so get your stuff together."

They sat in an awkward silence after James left. It was not the first time someone had made a comment like that. In fact, remarks like that were often made about their relationship, but both boys tried to ignore it and refused to acknowledge—at least not out loud—that there might be even a glimmer of truth in what people were saying.

Scorpius finally broke the silence. "Father says he'll make arrangements properly with your parents at the station so that you can come stay—that is, if you still want to," he said hesitantly.

"I do!" said Albus quickly. He loved staying at Malfoy Manor.

"Oh, good," said Scorpius, relief evident in his voice.

They stepped onto the platform, all embarrassment forgotten, and looked around for their parents. They found their families standing together and were surprised and relieved to see that their fathers were not arguing for once.

"You're sure you don't mind having Albus stay?" Albus' mum, Ginny, was asking the Malfoys.

"No, not at all!" replied Astoria Malfoy, smiling kindly at Albus. "He is a charming boy."

"Yes," drawled Draco. "He's very smart and has excellent manners. I rather like him, actually. It's a miracle considering that he has lived in a house with you all of his life, Potter." He smirked at Harry.

"Draco!" scolded Astoria.

Harry laughed, a loud, cheerful sound. "Touché, Malfoy."

Albus and Scorpius looked at each other and shook their heads at their fathers' antics. They still acted as though they were fifteen. It was quite amusing to watch until someone ended up being punched on the nose.

"Well, we'd best be off," said Astoria Malfoy, obviously wanting to leave while things were still friendly.

Ginny, who seemed to agree with her, said her goodbyes to the Malfoys and led Harry away.

"I'll see you on Boxing Day then, Score," said Albus with a grin.

Scorpius beamed, an expression he rarely showed anyone but Albus. "Have a good Christmas, yeah?"

Albus waved to him one last time and followed the rest of him family out of the station. He forced all thoughts of the peculiar pang in his chest out of his mind.

Christmas was, as usual, brilliant for Albus. He got everything he wanted, including the brand new racing broom he had been hinting about. Grandma Molly had also knitted him a brand new Weasley jumper, which he was grateful for now that Scorpius had his old one.

His mind had been straying to Scorpius an awful lot since he had come home for Christmas. It was strange, but he had come to the conclusion that it was only because he was looking forward to going to the Manor. He always had an excellent time whenever he stayed there.

A sort of nervous excitement buzzed through Albus as he waited outside the huge doors of Malfoy Manor. The harsh winter wind made his unruly black hair even more untidy than it was usually, and he tried unsuccessfully to pat it down.

The door opened, revealing Scorpius standing behind it in a pair of dark Muggle jeans and his old Weasley jumper.

_He looks so adorable. I wonder if he realises,_ pondered Albus' before registering what he had just thought and swiftly pushing it out of his mind. This was not what he needed.

"Albus!" Scorpius smiled Albus' favourite smile and pulled him in for a brief hug. He let him go, and they both flushed at this sudden burst of affection.

"Mother's had the room you always sleep in prepared for you." He took Albus' trunk and clicked his fingers.

A house elf appeared in front of them with a loud 'crack'. "Yes, Master Scorpius?" It looked at him expectantly with its huge glassy eyes.

Albus almost injured himself trying to hold in his mirth at hearing Scorpius being called master.

The blond shot him a warning look.

"Libby, would you please take Albus' trunk up to his room?"

The elf nodded vigorously. "Of course, anything for the young master,"

The elf was obviously rather fond of Scorpius.

Scorpius offered it a small smile. "Thank you, Libby."

The elf dissapparated with another loud 'crack'.

The days passed in a blur of laughter for the boys, and New Years Eve seemed to creep up on them from behind.

Draco and Astoria were heading off to a fancy party and were leaving Albus and Scorpius alone in the Manor.

"You look beautiful, Mother," Scorpius said, smiling.

He wasn't lying. His mother had on a gorgeous midnight blue dress that skimmed gracefully over her hips. Her dark hair cascaded elegantly over her shoulders in thick ringlets, and her ice blue eyes seemed to be glittering like the silver trimmings on her evening gown.

"Thank you, darling." She smiled warmly, leaning down slightly to kiss his cheek. He was almost taller than her. "Now be good, boys, won't you?"

They both nodded innocently.

"If you are not," said Draco, his eyes narrowed at them in a mock glare, "I shall know."

And then they were gone.

"So…" said Scorpius, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Shall we break out the fire whiskey now or later?"

The boys spent the evening getting blissfully drunk on the living room floor as they waited for the bells to signify that another year was over.

"Can you believe we're still friends?" asked Scorpius, his speech slurring slightly. "I mean, really, it's been five bloody years, and here we are."

He shuffled slightly closer to Albus.

Albus was silent for a few moments. "Can't really 'magine it any other way. Can you?"

"No," murmured Scorpius.

"We'll always be best friends," said Albus firmly.

"How'd you know?"

"'Cause, life would be no fun without you, Score." The alcohol was allowing him to say these things without the embarrassment that would usually have followed them.

Scorpius smiled at him with heavy lidded eyes. "Nearly midnight, just under a minute to go."

Albus shifted nearer to Scorpius so that their noses were almost touching.

"You know the stuff people say about us," began Albus, his breath ghosting over Scorpius' lips, making the blond feel light headed in a way that had nothing to do with the obscene amount of fire whiskey he had consumed. "Do you ever think they might be right?"

"When they say that we… fancy each other?"

Albus nodded, his forehead bumping gently against Scorpius'.

"Yes," he breathed.

Ten seconds left to go.

"Me too."

Nine seconds.

"But you went out with that Ravenclaw girl."

Six seconds.

"Such a big mistake. I only want you, Scorpius,"

Five seconds.

"You have me."

Four seconds.

"Kiss me then."

In the three seconds that were left, Scorpius worked up the courage to close the gap between them and kissed Albus, softly, nervously, sweetly. Albus wrapped his arms around Scorpius' neck, threaded his fingers through his silky blond hair and kissed him back deeply.

Neither could think of a more perfect way to bring in the New Year.

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**A/N : Hope you enjoyed, please review.**

Chapter three should be up some time next week.


	3. Seventh Year

**_Disclaimer: _I own nothing but the plot. The lyrics at the top belong to Snow Patrol.  
_A/N: _Thank you to my wonderful beta, Lisa for all the hard work she put into this.**

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_Train this chaos, turn it into light_

_I've gotta see you one last night_

_Before the lions take their share_

_Leave us in pieces scattered everywhere_

**Seventh Year.**

Scorpius Malfoy was in a foul mood, and he had been for days. Whilst the rest of his year celebrated the end of exams and the fast-approaching end of their time at Hogwarts, Scorpius sat alone in the library.

He rejected all of his boyfriend Albus' invitations to spend time together and ignored the looks of hurt on Albus' face every time he walked away from him. Scorpius knew he was being unfair, but he had decided that it was the way things had to be.

He was in the library, sitting at his favourite desk in the corner, when Albus entered. Albus was never one to give up; Scorpius knew that. They had, after all, been best friends for almost seven years and a couple for two of those seven.

He had shared most of the best moments of his life with Albus, and he loved him, but he had to distance himself from him. In a weeks time, they would be boarding the Hogwarts Express for the very last time. Albus would be going off to train as an Auror, like his dad, and he wouldn't want his childhood sweetheart around. He would want to move on, and Scorpius had sworn to himself that he would not show any weakness when Albus told him that. So he had to prepare himself for life without him

Albus smiled at him as he crossed the room, and Scorpius couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face in return. He was so helpless when it came to Albus.

"Hey," said Albus softly, leaning down to kiss him gently.

Scorpius' insides danced, and his limbs seemed to turn to liquid. He thought it ridiculous that Albus' kisses should still have that effect on him after two years.

When they broke apart, Albus grinned at him, his emerald eyes glittering.

"What are you doing here?" asked Scorpius, taking Albus' hand in his own.

"I could ask you the same thing," said Albus, stroking the back of Scorpius' hand with his thumb. "Exams are over, Score, you don't need to study any more."

"I'm not studying; I'm just reading. I like to read."

Albus frowned slightly. "Oh, right, you're just in here because you want to be."

Scorpius stayed silent and was shocked to hear that when Albus spoke again his voice was an angry hiss.

"I just thought I might be able to persuade you to have a break for a while, thought that maybe you might miss me just a little bit, too, because we've barely spoken all week. But no, you're in here by choice. Fine, that's just fine. I'll leave you to your book." Albus all but spat the last word and stood up abruptly.

Scorpius was horrified. _What have I done? _he thought.

He grabbed Albus' wrist to stop him from leaving. All thoughts of his plan to distance himself from Albus seemed to evaporate.

"No, Albus, wait. I do miss you. I _really_ miss you."

Albus didn't say anything. He kept his gaze hard and stared straight ahead.

"Let's go somewhere," Scorpius said quickly, standing up and twining his fingers with Albus'. He was relieved when Albus didn't pull his hand away; it was a good sign. "Let's go to the kitchens and get some food, and then we can go sit by the lake. The weather's fantastic."

Albus turned slowly to face Scorpius. "Can we get chocolate?"

Scorpius chuckled. "We can get whatever you want, Al."

Albus seemed to consider this for a moment before returning Scorpius' grin enthusiastically. "Okay then, you git. Come on."

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Half an hour later they were sprawled out on the grass beside the Black Lake with a large wicker picnic basket beside them.

"Pass me a pumpkin pasty, Al."

"You're so lazy; you need to learn to do things for yourself."

Scorpius groaned. "Noooo, please get me a pasty. I need a pasty. Please, Albus, the love of my life, the only star in my sky, my sweet, sweet baby, my lovebug, my — OUCH!"

A pumpkin pasty collided with the side of Scorpius' head.

"Don't you ever call me those things again!" said Albus, looking mildly sick.

Scorpius cackled and bit into his pasty.

He licked the icing off of his fingers and then lay down, resting his head in Albus' lap. Albus automatically began running his fingers through his hair, and Scorpius sighed contentedly. He didn't know what he would do when Albus was no longer there to do that for him, to hold him and to kiss him. The thought made his stomach churn.

They lay in silence for what could have been minutes or even hours before Albus spoke.

"The leavers ball is next Friday."

"The night before we leave this place for good," murmured Scorpius with a sad edge to his voice.

"Yeah," said Albus quietly. "Will you go with me, Score?"

"You didn't have to ask, Albus. Who else would I be going with?"

"I just wanted to do it properly. So, will you do me the honour of being my date?" Albus smirked as he said this.

Scorpius snickered. "Yeah, okay, I'll be your date to the ball."

Albus laughed and leaned down to kiss Scorpius hard on the mouth.

They were both laughing when they broke apart. "Love you, Scorpius."

"Love you, too."

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Albus Potter was walking down to the Great Hall for lunch when his cousin, Rose Weasely, bounced up behind him and grabbed his arm.

"Have you heard?" she asked, smiling widely at him.

He furrowed his brows. "Heard what?"

"The ball," she began, her blue eyes twinkling, "It's going to be a masquerade ball! I might find my one true love. It will be so romantic; I can see it now. We will dance all night long, and then at midnight he will carefully remove my mask and I his, and we will realise that we are the perfect pair."

Albus snorted at the wistfulness in her voice and the far off look in her eye.

"That's all well and good, but I'm going with Scorpius. I don't _need_ to find my one true love; Ialready _have_ him_,_" he said smugly.

"No need to rub it in," she said sourly, narrowing her gaze at him.

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Scorpius had given up on his plan of distancing himself from Albus and had decided just to make the most of the time he had with him. He was looking forward to the ball and seeing Albus all dressed up. It would be the perfect way to end their time at Hogwarts.

The seventh years had all been given permission to go into Hogsmeade on the Wednesday before the ball to buy outfits. The clothes shops were absolutely packed, and Scorpius thanked Merlin that he and Albus were rich and were able to shop in the quieter, more expensive shops in the village.

They entered a small, purple shop with their hands clasped and waited for assistance.

A tall, slender woman in deep red robes approached them with a polite smile on her crimson lips.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen. Here for an outfit for the leavers ball I assume?"

Scorpius nodded. "Could we please be fitted separately? I would like our outfits to be a surprise."

Albus gaped at this; he had only agreed to come into the fancy shop because Scorpius had promised to stay with him. Expensive shops made him feel uncomfortable; he felt as though he didn't belong there.

"Of course, not a problem," she said, turning to call on someone called Monique.

Monique was not as tall as the other woman, and she was plump. She looked pleasant, and Albus hoped she would be the one to fit his robes.

His luck was in. "Monique, take this young man through to be fitted," she said, gesturing to Albus.

Monique ushered him through to the fitting room.

"Was there anything you had in mind, sir?" she inquired.

He hadn't even thought about what he wanted.

"I'd like something simple, you know? Nothing too fancy."

She smiled. "I think we have just the thing; it will be perfect, I'm sure."

And then she bustled off to find Albus' outfit.

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An hour or so later the boys made their way back down the streets of Hogsmeade laden with bags. Both were content and sure that they had found the perfect outfits for the ball.

"Can I see what you got?" Albus asked, trying to peak into Scorpius' bag.

"No you may not!" exclaimed Scorpius,, hastily pulling his bag away and looking at Albus as though he had asked if he could pull down his trousers in the middle of the street.

"Sorry," said Albus in a singsong sort of way.

"You should be," said Scorpius haughtily.

* * *

The two days before the ball passed quickly. Before anyone knew it, Friday, the night of the ball, was upon them. A strange atmosphere surrounded the seventh years, a feeling of giddiness but also sadness as their last night at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry began.

By half past five, all of the girls had retreated to their dorm rooms to prepare for the night ahead while the boys sat in the common room wondering why they would possibly need more than forty five minutes to get ready.

"Seriously, though," said Alexander Zabini, "two and a half hours, it's too long. There is no _way_ they need all that time."

"Well, Charlotte Banklebee probably does. Have you seen the warts on her chin?" said Mathew Thomas, laughing heartily.

Scorpius who was sitting with his head on Albus' shoulder, leaned up and whispered to him, "I'm so glad I don't have to put up with women. You're much less hassle."

"You aren't," remarked Albus, grinning cheekily.

Scorpius swiftly swatted him on the head. "Rude boy. I'm going to get ready now."

"Aw, no don't go," pleaded Albus, trying to tug him back down onto the leather couch they had been sitting on.

"No, I'm going. Don't leave getting ready too late, Al. I don't want to have to wait while you rush about at the last minute."

"Sure, sure," smirked Albus.

Scorpius entered the dormitory and sighed happily at the silence that surrounded him. He loved it when the dorm was empty; it was hard to get peace when you lived in with four other boys. That was one thing he was not going to miss about school.

He pushed open the door to the bathroom and turned on the shower, putting his hand under the powerful sprays to test the temperature. As always, it was perfect. He didn't know why he still tested the water; it was just a habit he supposed.

He pulled off his uniform, shimmied out of his boxers, and then stepped into the deliciously warm shower. He hummed quietly as the sprays massaged the muscles in his back, relieving the tension. He took his time lathering and rinsing his hair because he knew it would be the last time he would really get to do it properly in that shower. If he showered tomorrow, it would just be a quick one to refresh himself.

The thought made his stomach clench uncomfortably. He wished he could just dig his heels in and slow time down just a little bit. It was all happening too fast. Not only was his time at Hogwarts coming to a close, so was his time with Albus. No matter how hard he tried not to think about that, his mind continued to wander back to the dark thoughts of life without Albus. He was torturing himself.

As he stood in the steamy bathroom towelling himself dry, he heard the boys enter, chatting loudly. He tied the towel round his waist and opened the door.

"Mathew, what's the password for the prefects bathroom? I want to get ready in there."

"It's 'excellens discipulus.' Why do you want to get ready in there?"

"Because," he said, casting a glance over at Albus who looked adorably puzzled, "I don't want Albus to see me until I'm completely ready."

He pulled on a pair of jeans and a plain black top, gathered the bags with his outfit, and walked over to Albus and kissed him quickly. "I'll meet you at the bottom of the stairs at eight o'clock. Don't be late."

Albus dressed slowly but carefully. He had plenty of time, and he wanted to make sure he made the most of that time to get himself looking as good as possible. He really wanted this night to be perfect.

He pulled his long-sleeved, white cotton shirt over his tanned, freshly showered skin and slid the perfectly fitting black trousers over his hips and did up the buttons. He took time preparing his hair so that it looked stylishly dishevelled rather than like a haystack as it usually did.

He applied a small amount of aftershave to the base of his throat, just enough so that Scorpius could catch a whiff of it if he came close enough.

He tied his black tie slowly, trying to make it as perfect as he possibly could, and then pulled on his black suit jacket and ran his hands down it. Then finally, he placed his simple black mask over his eyes and nose.

He stood in front of the only full-length mirror in the room and inspected his appearance. _Not bad,_ he thought, _not bad at all._

His mirror seemed to agree with him. It made a low growling sound and said, "Go get 'em tiger."

------------

Scorpius waited at the bottom of the stairs in the entrance hall fiddling with the sleeves of his white silk shirt. He was five minutes early, and he wished Albus would hurry up. Other students passed by him and the vast majority had made a huge effort with their outfits. The girls wore beautiful flowing dresses with sparkles and lace, and on their faces they wore masquerade masks. Some were simple while others were more elaborate. The boys looked smart in their formal outfits. Some of the boys were wearing tuxedos; others, like Scorpius had gone for something a little less traditional. He had on a fine silk shirt with a midnight blue vest on top with silver embroidery and a black cape clipped with a clasp with the Malfoy crest on it. On his face he wore a silver mask that covered his eyes and nose. He was pleased with the outfit; he thought it made him look rather dashing, like a prince or a hero.

Finally, Scorpius looked up to see Albus coming down the stairs; even while Albus was wearing a mask Scorpius was still able to spot him with ease. When Albus got close enough for Scorpius to get a proper look at him, his breath hitched a little. Albus looked ridiculously handsome; he had obviously put a lot of effort into his appearance. Scorpius was unable to suppress the wide smile that spread across his face when Albus waved at him from the stairs and he was still smiling when Albus pulled him into a kiss.

"You look amazing," Albus murmured, touching his forehead against Scorpius.

"Not as amazing as you," said Scorpius, running his eyes over Albus. "How in the name of Merlin did you manage to get your hair to look like that?"

Albus winked and tapped his nose. "Don't be nosey, Scorpius."

They twined their fingers together and made their way into the Great Hall. They were absolutely taken aback; they'd never seen the hall looking as beautiful as it did then. The whole room seemed to shimmer. One half of the hall had two long tables, each piled high with food and drink with huge gold chandeliers over head. The other half of the room was being used as a dance floor, and it was already filled with students dancing along to music played by the popular wizarding band, Deadly Nightshade.

"McGonagall and the rest of the professors have really outdone themselves tonight," said Albus, as his eyes scanned over the room.

"Yeah, it's _fantastic_," replied Scorpius, nodding. "Do you want to go over to the tables and say hello to everyone? I think that's Mathew over there with the green mask and black suit."

Mathew waved and nudged Alexander when they approached. "Alright, you two? God, Score, how much did that outfit cost you?"

"A lot," he replied with a smirk and a chuckle.

Scorpius put his hand on Albus' arm. "I'm going to get a drink, Al. Would you like anything?"

"Um, could you get me a Butterbear, please?"

Scorpius wrinkled his nose. "I don't know how you drink that awful stuff."

"Shut up," laughed Albus. "I don't say anything about that disgusting earl grey tea you drink."

"Earl grey tea is a sophisticated drink, of course _you _wouldn't be able to appreciate it, you plebeian," said Scorpius with a haughty expression on his pale face.

Albus just snickered at him as he turned away.

-------------

As Scorpius went to fetch the drinks, a familiar tune began to play, and he smiled.

_I _love_ this song, _he thought, as the music caused an excited buzz to run through his body.

He weaved his way between the crowds of people to get Albus up to dance, his hips swaying slightly to the music, all thoughts of their drinks forgotten.

He arrived back at the group just time to hear Albus' voice loud and cheerful. "I can't wait to get out of this place. I don't think there's much that I'm going to miss. It's time to move on. Time for a new beginning!"

"Here, here!" boomed the other boys.

"Score! Hey, where's the dri-" Scorpius never stopped to let Albus finish his question as he shoved past him roughly, trying to keep the nausea that had suddenly hit him at bay. He ignored Albus' calls of 'Scorpius, what's the matter?' and swiped impatiently at his stinging eyes.

As he rushed through the entrance hall and all but hurtled through the front doors of the castle, he ignored the bewildered gazes of his fellow students. Once he was outside under the clear, night sky he took huge gulps of the cool air in an unsuccessful attempt to calm his nerves, which were jangling inside of him. His thoughts were whizzing uncontrollably in his brain, making him feel light-headed and dizzy. He felt vomit rising in his throat and stumbled over to the nearest rose bush, bent over, pressed his hands hard into his abdomen and heaved.

Once he was finished he straightened up and wiped his mouth roughly on the back of his hand. His eyes were streaming, but he didn't bother to dry them. His thoughts still wouldn't slow down, and the only thought that stood out and repeated itself over and over was, _Albus really doesn't want me. He said it himself. I was right._

He felt foolish for reacting the way he was, but he couldn't help it. He had let himself hope that he and Albus would have a future after Hogwarts, and after finding out that wasn't true he was painfully disappointed, heartbroken even. He wasn't just losing a boyfriend; he was losing a best friend, and it was just too much for him to bear.

He walked through the silent grounds until he reached the lake, and then he sat down. He drew his knees up close to his legs and wrapped his arms around his legs. At any other time, he would never have even thought of sitting on the ground in his new suit for fear of ruining it, but in that moment, his suit seemed to be the least important thing in the world.

His eyes continued to leak warm salty tears that splashed down his mask as he considered what he would do when Albus was not around. He couldn't even imagine a life without Albus; his mind just seemed to reject the idea completely.

Scorpius rested his head on top of his knees and let his mind drift. He was unaware of the heavy footsteps that were fast approaching.

A hand gripped Scorpius' shoulder tightly and shook him hard.

"Scorpius!" came Albus' angry voice, "What the _fuck _was that all about? You just stormed out for no reason and ignored me when I called after you! What happened?"

"Piss off Albus," muttered Scorpius, glaring out at the lake refusing to look at Albus.

"Why?" Albus exploded. "What am I supposed to have done, Scorpius? I thought you'd stopped with your moodiness; you've been fine all week!"

"Well, you won't have to deal with my moodiness much longer."

"What the bloody hell are you talking about?" snapped Albus.

"When we leave tomorrow!" yelled Scorpius standing up suddenly and whirling round to face Albus. "You'll never have to see me again."

The anger seemed to melt from Albus' face and was replaced with an expression of worry and fear. "What's supposed to mean, Score? What's going on?

He reached out to take Scorpius' hand, but the blond pulled away from him.

"You know fine well what's going on. Why are you making this so difficult? I _heard_ you, Albus!"

"For Christ's sake, Scorpius, you heard _what_?"

"You saying you didn't want me any more!" Scorpius roared.

Albus' face contorted with confusion, and he shook his head as if trying to make everything in it fall into place.

"I never said that, Score. I swear I never did."

"Well, no, you never said that exactly, but it's what you meant. You said there was nothing you were going to miss about this school and that it was time for a fresh start."

To Scorpius' shock Albus laughed. It was a huge, loud laugh that filled Scorpius with rage. He could see nothing funny about the situation.

"You _idiot._ Are you insane?" asked Albus, still laughing.

Scorpius glared at him but he was sure Albus wasn't getting the full effect because he continued to laugh.

"What are you laughing at?"

"When I said that, I didn't mean you, Scorpius. How could you even think that?"

Scorpius stayed silent, so Albus kept talking.

"I _love_ you. You're not just my boyfriend; you're my best friend. My very best friend. So, even if this," he waved his hand between them, "doesn't last, our friendship will. Best friends are for keeps, Score. We can get through anything together."

Albus' emerald eyes looked suspiciously wet, and Scorpius had to resist the urge to reach up and wipe them.

"When I first met you, I knew straight away that I wanted to keep you. You were so... fascinating to me. With your unnaturally blond hair and your freaky grey eyes." He ignored Scorpius grunt of protest, "You were so unsure of yourself. You tried to hide it, but I could tell."

They had subconsciously moved closer to each other, and Albus was running his hand up and down Scorpius' arm.

"That's why when I saw you being sorted into Slytherin, I knew that's where I had to go, too.

And if you'd been sorted into Hufflepuff, I would have even gone there just to be where you were. And it's the same now, Scorpius. I just want to be where you are."

Albus reached up and carefully removed Scorpius mask, letting his thumbs graze against his cheek. Then he pulled off his own mask and dropped them both down on the grass.

"I'll stay with you as long as you want me, and I don't care how cheesy all of this sounds. I'll never leave."

Scorpius didn't even have the time to notice the grin that had spread across his face before Albus was kissing it away. It was a long, slow but desperate kiss as both boys tried to communicate all of their unsaid feelings. When they finally broke apart, they were breathless. Albus leaned down to nuzzle Scorpius nose with his own.

"Do you believe me?"

Scorpius only nodded and grasped Albus' hand in his own pale slender one. "Dance with me?"

"There's no music out here."

"It doesn't matter," murmured Scorpius as he began to sway, trying to make Albus do the same.

Albus chuckled deep in his throat then began to hum and sway.

"I love you, Al."

"I love you, too, Score. Always."

They stayed outside and just held each other until the morning light and then returned to the Slytherin dungeons to shower and collect their things before they had to leave Hogwarts for good. They were unsure of what the future had in store for them, but it didn't matter to either of them because they knew that wherever life took them, they would be going together.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you for reading , I hope you enjoyed. It would be much appreciated if you reviewed and constructive criticism is more than welcome!**


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